Pest Management Professional, October 2013

UNDERCOVER BOSS Continued from page 42 Johnny Fontenot Baton Rouge La and requirements sometimes dont reach the technicians Hes a perfect example of someone entering the pest management industry accidentally which is common in our company and industry He reminded me we need to continue to train our employees regularly because they run into different situations every day and need to know how to handle them professionally and effectively As Bob I spent the next day with 28 year employee Johnny Fontenot a residential pest management specialist in Baton Rouge La The customer we serviced has been Johnnys customer for 12 years and they have a solid relationship Johnny even gave her his bump cap when she asked if she could have it The home was neat as a pin and Johnny announced Mrs Percy dont like bugs and its my job to keep Mrs Percy happy Johnny is the epitome of what customer service and being an Orkin Man is all about I couldnt stop smiling when I was with him He has a caring enthusiastic and upbeat personality and his customers love him because he does the little extra things that keep them happy We couldve done a whole show about Johnny He has 28 years worth of stories he couldve told He said some management decisions about vacation and bonuses backfired because we didnt consider some of the unintended consequences for long tenured employees such as Johnny Ive already looked into those and were working on changes I want to be sure we reward dedicated employees like Johnny and take good care of them In Phoenix I worked with Paisley Martinez former pest management specialist and termite reinspector recently turned sales inspector Orkin has only about 100 women technicians but its a position in which many women excel largely because of their empathy and ability to connect with customers Id never worked with a female technician and I wasnt sure what to expect Paisley did a fantastic job She was a good coach and has a lot of potential and a sharp sense of humor mentioning I was too uptight and needed to release my inner Bob She acknowledged shes made some poor personal choices which are going to be difficult for her Continued on page 46 I m Johnny the Orkin Man a pest management professional PMP whos been with Orkin for 28 years My job is to keep customers happy and to do that I make sure they have no pests I also do extra things for them when they need it such as bringing in the newspaper pointing out a leak and so on A happy customer is a paying customer Bob and I worked together at Mrs Percys house Mrs Percy has been my customer for 12 years and I do a good job for her which keeps her happy Its just like Im at home when I go there It didnt air but we found a bucket full of water from a leak under the kitchen sink It was so full we couldnt move it without spilling it so I called to Mrs Percy to bring us a dipper and another bucket We moved that bucket for her didnt spill a drop and we took it outside to water her flowers I offered to call a plumber for her too and she was happy about that The key to everything is positive thinking Half of getting what you want is thinking about it positively Thats how you keep customers When we kill their bugs I can sit and chat with them Sometimes Im just nice company for them because they know I took care of the bugs Sometimes all they want is company I had never heard of Undercover Boss so when I found out Bob was really John Wilson I couldnt believe it Many of my customers saw the episode and they said Johnny I saw you on TV All I could think was Why me Out of all the techs in the office Im happy but why did they choose me When John told me he would cover my hernia WE COULD HAVE DONE A WHOLE SHOW ON JOHNNY WHO HAS 28 YEARS WORTH OF STORIES TO TELL operation expenses whatever my insurance doesnt pay and send me and my family on a trip to the beach and send me to the Presidents Club and give me a bonus and all of that I couldnt believe it I said Wow Youre going to do that Thats great The good Lords going to bless you Thats a blessing Yes sir Orkins a wonderful company Im proud to be Johnny the Orkin Man 44 October 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net